Maintenance Assistant

About the University

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes. 

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

About the College/Department

The University of Derby Estates Department is dedicated to cultivating a vibrant, innovative, and sustainable campus environment, that supports our passion for delivering world class education and ground-breaking research. 

The Estates team has over 250 colleagues, working across all of our sites on everything from the refurbishment of buildings to catering. 

Buxton Team

The Buxton Estates team is a small, dedicated, and highly motivated group of people known as Maintenance Assistants. We manage all aspects of the site from grounds work, general maintenance and compliance, to organising the teaching spaces to suit individual staff requirements. One of the most important parts of the role is to be able to interact and communicate equally with both students as well as staff. We pride ourselves in being able to uphold the Universities goals, principles, and objectives within our local community.

About the Role

An opportunity has arisen for a Maintenance Assistant to join our high calibre and committed Building Services team, delivering a first-class customer orientated repair and maintenance service to the University’s portfolio of buildings. The role is to carry out all necessary minor maintenance works, and compliance checks in teaching, administration, workshops, residential, and other accommodation, owned, leased or rented by the University on all sites of the University. An example is operating grounds machinery, mowers, hedge cutters, strimmer, erecting and operating on working platforms etc. 

Full Health and Safety training will be given for the full range of activities that the role demands. The University has a programme of online training, which covers core activities and mandatory training.

About You

The most important and essential requirement is to hold a full UK driving licence to enable you to move between the University of Derby sites. You should have basic skills and general experience of the construction trades, i.e. joinery, painting, brickwork, grounds work. Qualifications in any of these areas are desirable, although, evidence of relevant skills and experience will also be accepted.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)Local Government Pension SchemeSuite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance ProgrammeAccess to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailersDiscounted onsite gymCycle to Work schemeA flexible working environmentA commitment to personal and professional development

Key Contact

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Peter Tickle, Senior Maintenance Supervisor via [email protected] 

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via [email protected]

Important Information

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Please visit our website for more information.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and is therefore subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.

To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.

Please find our Safeguarding pages including our Safeguarding Policy here.

Closing Date: 12 Feb 2026

Area: Operational Support

Salary: £25,802 to £26,582 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £30,569 per annum)